3 injured in Freeport crime spree

Police in Nassau County are investigating a string of robberies that occurred within one hour late Sunday night.

All of the crimes happened in Freeport between 10:50 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. on Sunday.

In the first case, three young men on bicycles attacked a 51-year-old man at Davis Avenue and Dutchess Street. They punched him in the face and took his cash, before he was able to flee to a nearby residence.

"There was physical force on this robbery. There was no gun showing, no weapon showing really physical force," said Detective Lt. Robert Galgano, Nassau County Police Department.

The victim suffered a lacerated lip, but did not require any hospital care.

A mile away and 25 minutes later, a 62-year-old man was walking through an alley near 64 Commercial Street when two young men struck him from behind in the head with a wooden stick. The victim did not have anything taken. The two suspects fled on foot. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries to his head and face.

The last crime happened at 11:50 p.m., and this one involved a gun.

"Being that it's daytime now, you see more people. At night time, it's different you don't see so much people," said David Harris, a Freeport resident.

Detectives said two suspects approached a 34-year-old man at Southside and Sportsman Avenues, pointing a silver handgun at him. The victim grabbed the weapon and began to wrestle with one of the suspects, police said. The other suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim four times.

The victim managed to escape and run to a nearby residence to call police. He suffered a laceration to his liver and a partially collapsed lung. The victim remains in serious but stable condition at the hospital.

"It's hard to believe that it would have happened around here. It's pretty much crime free around here. We don't have any problems like that," said Garfield Burton, a homeowner.

Police say they have reason to believe the crimes may be connected.

"Based locations of the crimes, time frames between the crimes, commonality of the victims, we believe that they could be related," Det. Lt. Galgano said.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about any of these crimes to contact investigators by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.